As we get older, we sometimes slowly lose touch with friends, especially as school and university mates disperse across the country. Even if you still catch up regularly, you don't see them every day.

Family and work creep in to the forefront of your life, and if you have made a big move for your career, you especially turn to work to make friends.

Here are eight reasons why your work friends are actually your best mates, according to The Irish Mirror.

1. You spend a minimum of 40 hours a week with them

Spending so many hours with a group of people will quickly reveal who has the most annoying laugh, who bangs away at their keyboard too loudly and who will always support your ideas.

You all chose to be in the same profession and work for the same company, so you are bound to have something in common.

Ideally, you have found a group to socialise with outside the office, or at least easily chat with to make the day go by faster.

If you find your colleagues have more annoying traits than endearing ones, then you might want to consider sending out some feeler CVs for a new role. Life is short...

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2. The kitchen gossip

Staff Christmas parties or summer barbecues breed the most scandalous work gossip, but nothing beats the everyday chat over a cup of tea.

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3. Staff nights out

Of course, tea can only get you so far. Most office friendships are formed over copious amounts of alcohol, especially when the work week has felt like a month. Only your work friends can understand how badly you need that pint or three.

Just make sure you don't get too drunk and find yourself the subject of the kitchen gossip.

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4. They have to be your co-worker, but they choose to be your friend

You did not get to choose who you sit next to for eight hours a day, but you did choose to spend time together after work. It is a sign of true friendship that you hang out outside of office house after all of that togetherness.

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5. The inside jokes

Things happen at work that only you and your workmates will find funny. These laughs can make the day go by so much faster.

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6. Venting

We all enjoy complaining about how late we had to stay at work one night or a certain annoying colleague and nobody understands this better than your office buddies.

It's a well known fact that a good old fashioned moan session brings people closer together.

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7. The group chat

Whether it's texting about the drama unfolding in the office, slagging each other, or actually offering work advice, the group message is almost always active and for some reason it never gets annoying.

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8. Hangovers

We've all been there. It's Wednesday and the urge for pints is strong. You go out for one and end up having five. You drag yourself to the office the next day with a pounding headache and rapidly diminishing will to live.

Your work friends are usually there to save the day by making excuses for why you're late and supplying you with your favourite hangover food.

That is, of course, unless they went out with you, in which case you can both be in severe pain together.